Governors of British Ceylon

The governor of Ceylon was the representative in Ceylon of the British Crown from 1795 to 1948. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in Ceylon. The governor was the head of the British colonial administration in Ceylon, reporting to the Colonial Office.

With Ceylon gaining self-rule and dominion status with the creation of Dominion of Ceylon in 1948, this office was replaced by the Governor-General, who represented the British monarch as the head of state. The office of Governor-General was itself abolished in 1972 and replaced by the post of President when Sri Lanka became a republic.

Appointment

The governor, appointed by the British monarch (on the advice of the prime minister and the secretary of state for the colonies), maintained executive power in Ceylon throughout British rule.

Powers and functions

The governor was the head of the executive administration in the island. Initially limited to the coastal regions, the authority of the governor was extended to the provinces of the Kingdom of Kandy following the Kandyan Convention in 1815. The governor had absolute power in the island deriving it from the traditional powers of the Dutch governors and the king of Kandy and reporting to the secretary of state for the colonies. it was in the Colebrooke Reforms which first defined the role of the governor as "the representative of the Sovereign the Monarch who rules over the Parliament of the United Kingdom". These reforms introduced the first legislator which was expanded over the next century in the reforms that took place. Upon independence in 1948, the office of the Governor was abolished and replaced with that of the Governor-General as the representative of the sovereign.

The governor was the commander-in-chief of British Forces in Ceylon, except only during World War II, when Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon with power exceeding that of the governor.

Ceremonial

In November each year, the governor would receive the annual tribute from the sultan of Maldives. The governor was the ex-officio Chancellor of the University of Ceylon and patron of the Royal College Colombo.

Council

Following the Colebrooke Reforms the Executive Council of Ceylon and the Legislative Council of Ceylon was established with the Governor chairing both these councils. In 1931, the Legislative Council was replaced by the State Council of Ceylon with limited self-government.

Style and title

The title of the position was "Governor of Ceylon" and was styled Excellency and enjoyed precedence over all other government officials in Ceylon. He was referred to as 'His Excellency' and addressed as 'Your Excellency'. This practice as constituted to the office of President.

Privileges

Residence

The governor's main residence and office was the King's House in Colombo and secondary residence was the King's Pavilion in Kandy. The vacationing residence of the governor, Queen's Cottage, was located in the hill station of Nuwara Eliya.

Guard

The Governor's Bodyguard was a mounted guard that functioned as a ceremonial guard for the governor when attending state functions. A ceremonial native regiment of Lascoreens was maintained by the office of the governor to provide a ceremonial guard on special occasions such as the Maldivian Tribute or royal visits.

Staff

The governor's office was housed at King's House and had a permanent staff. It consisted of the secretary to the governor, a private secretary, an aide-de-camp, the maha mudaliyar, an office assistant and support staff.

List of governors

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Sovereign	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
Military Governors (1795–1798)
1		Patrick Alexander Agnew (1765–1813) (in Trincomalee)	August 1795	1 March 1796		George III
2		James Stuart (1741–1815)	1 March 1796	1 January 1797	Template:Ayd	George III
3	File:Welbore Ellis Doyle.png	Welbore Ellis Doyle (1758–1797)	1 January 1797	2 July 1797	Template:Ayd	George III
4		Peter Bonnevaux (c. Template:Trim–1797)	2 July 1797	12 July 1797 †	Template:Ayd	George III
5	File:Pierre-Frédéric de Meuron.jpg	Pierre Frédéric de Meuron (1788–1813)	12 July 1797	12 October 1798	Template:Ayd	George III
Resident and Superintendent (1796–1798)
1		Robert Andrews (1763–1821)	12 February 1796	12 October 1798	Template:Ayd	George III
Governors (1798–1948)
1	File:5thEarlOfGuilford.jpg	Frederick North (1766–1827)	12 October 1798	19 July 1805	Template:Ayd	George III
2	File:John Hoppner (1758-1810) - Portrait of Sir Thomas Maitland (1760-1824).jpg	Thomas Maitland (1760–1824)	19 July 1805	19 March 1811	Template:Ayd	George III
		John Wilson (1780–1856) Acting	19 March 1811	11 March 1812	Template:Ayd	George III
3	File:Robert Brownrigg.jpg	Robert Brownrigg (1759–1833)	11 March 1812	1 February 1820	Template:Ayd	George III
	File:Sir Edward Barnes by William Salter.jpg	Edward Barnes (1776–1838) Acting	1 February 1820	2 February 1822	Template:Ayd	George III George IV
4	File:Sir Edward Paget by Martin Archer Shee 1810.jpg	Edward Paget (1775–1849)	2 February 1822	6 November 1822	Template:Ayd	George IV
		James Campbell (c. Template:Trim–1835) Acting	6 November 1822	18 January 1824	Template:Ayd	George IV
5	File:Sir Edward Barnes by William Salter.jpg	Edward Barnes (1776–1838)	18 January 1824	13 October 1831	Template:Ayd	George IV William IV
		John Wilson (1780–1856) Acting	13 October 1831	23 October 1831	Template:Ayd	William IV
6	File:SirRobertWilmotHorton.jpg	Robert Wilmot-Horton (1784–1841)	23 October 1831	7 November 1837	Template:Ayd	William IV Queen Victoria
7	File:James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie.jpg	James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie (1784–1843)	7 November 1837	15 April 1841	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
8	File:Sir Colin Campbell by William Salter.jpg	Colin Campbell (1776–1847)	15 April 1841	19 April 1847	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
	File:JamesEmersonTennent..jpg	James Emerson Tennent (1804–1869) Acting	19 April 1847	29 May 1847	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
9	File:George Byng, Vanity Fair, 1876-04-15.jpg	The Viscount Torrington (1812–1884)	29 May 1847	18 October 1850	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
	File:Sir Charles J. MacCarthy (1811-1864).png	Charles Justin MacCarthy (1811–1864) Acting	18 October 1850	27 November 1850	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
10		George William Anderson (1791–1857)	27 November 1850	18 January 1855	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
	File:Sir Charles J. MacCarthy (1811-1864).png	Charles Justin MacCarthy (1811–1864) Acting	18 January 1855	11 May 1855	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
11	File:Henry George Ward.jpg	Henry George Ward (1797–1860)	11 May 1855	30 June 1860	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
	File:Major-General Henry Frederick Lockyer (1797-1860).png	Henry Frederick Lockyer (1797–1860) Acting	30 June 1860	30 July 1860	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
		Charles Edmund Wilkinson (1807–1870) Acting	30 July 1860	22 October 1860	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
12	File:Sir Charles J. MacCarthy (1811-1864).png	Charles Justin MacCarthy (1811–1864)	22 October 1860	1 December 1863	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
	File:Sir John Terence Nicholls O'Brien (1830-1903).jpg	Terence O'Brien (1830–1903) Acting	1 December 1863	21 March 1865	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
	File:LordRosmead.jpg	Hercules Robinson (1824–1897) Acting	21 March 1865	16 May 1865	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
13	File:LordRosmead.jpg	Hercules Robinson (1824–1897)	16 May 1865	4 January 1872	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
		Henry Turner Irving (1833–1923) Acting	4 January 1872	4 March 1872	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
14	File:William Henry Gregory Vanity Fair 30 December 1871.jpg	William Henry Gregory (1817–1892)	4 March 1872	4 September 1877	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
15	File:James Robert Longden.png	James Robert Longden (1827–1891)	4 September 1877	10 July 1883	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
	File:Sir John Douglas (1836-1885).png	John Douglas (1835–1885) Acting	10 July 1883	3 December 1883	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
16	File:Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon.jpg	Arthur Hamilton-Gordon (1829–1912)	3 December 1883	28 May 1890	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
17	File:Arthur Havelock.jpg	Arthur Elibank Havelock (1844–1908)	28 May 1890	24 October 1895	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
		Edward Noël Walker (1842–1908) Acting	24 October 1895	10 February 1896	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria
18	File:Joseph West Ridgeway.tiff	Joseph West Ridgeway (1844–1930)	10 February 1896	19 November 1903	Template:Ayd	Queen Victoria Edward VII
		Sir Everard im Thurn (1852–1932) Acting	19 November 1903	3 December 1903	Template:Ayd	Edward VII
19	File:Henry Arthur Blake.jpg	Henry Arthur Blake (1840–1918)	3 December 1903	11 July 1907	Template:Ayd	Edward VII
	File:Hugh Charles Clifford (The Straits Times, 15 October 1929).jpg	Hugh Clifford (1866–1941) Acting	11 July 1907	24 August 1907	Template:Ayd	Edward VII
20	File:Sir Henry Edward McCallum (1852-1919).jpg	Henry Edward McCallum (1852–1919)	24 August 1907	24 January 1913	Template:Ayd	Edward VII George V
	File:SirReginaldStubbs.jpg	Reginald Edward Stubbs (1876–1947) Acting	24 January 1913	18 October 1913	Template:Ayd	George V
21	File:1stLordChalmers.jpg	Robert Chalmers (1858–1938)	18 October 1913	4 December 1915	Template:Ayd	George V
	File:SirReginaldStubbs.jpg	Reginald Edward Stubbs (1876–1947) Acting	4 December 1915	15 April 1916	Template:Ayd	George V
22	File:Sir john anderson.gif	John Anderson (1858–1918)	15 April 1916	24 March 1918 †	Template:Ayd	George V
	File:SirReginaldStubbs.jpg	Reginald Edward Stubbs (1876–1947) Acting	24 March 1918	10 September 1918	Template:Ayd	George V
23	File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-111-7.jpg	William Henry Manning (1863–1932)	10 September 1918	1 April 1925	Template:Ayd	George V
	File:SIRCECILCLEMENTIHKU.jpg	Cecil Clementi (1875–1947) Acting	1 April 1925	18 October 1925	Template:Ayd	George V
		Edward Bruce Alexander (1872–1955) Acting	18 October 1925	30 November 1925	Template:Ayd	George V
24	File:Hugh Charles Clifford (The Straits Times, 15 October 1929).jpg	Hugh Clifford (1866–1941)	30 November 1925	June 1927		George V
	File:Sir Murchison Fletcher.jpg	Arthur George Murchison Fletcher (1878–1954) Acting	June 1927	20 August 1928		George V
25	File:Sir Herbert James Stanley.jpg	Herbert Stanley (1872–1955)	20 August 1928	11 February 1931	Template:Ayd	George V
		Bernard Henry Bourdillon (1883–1948) Acting	11 February 1931	11 April 1931	Template:Ayd	George V
26		Graeme Thomson (1875–1933)	11 April 1931	20 September 1933	Template:Ayd	George V
		Graeme Tyrrell (1876–1964) Acting	20 September 1933	23 December 1933	Template:Ayd	George V
27	File:SirReginaldStubbs.jpg	Reginald Edward Stubbs (1876–1947)	23 December 1933	30 June 1937	Template:Ayd	George V Edward VIII George VI
		Maxwell MacLagan Wedderburn (1883–1953) Acting	30 June 1937	16 October 1937	Template:Ayd	George VI
28	File:Sir Andrew Caldecott.jpg	Andrew Caldecott (1884–1951)	16 October 1937	19 September 1944	Template:Ayd	George VI
29		Henry Monck-Mason Moore (1887–1964)	19 September 1944	4 February 1948	Template:Ayd	George VI

See also

• Dutch governors of Zeylan
• Governor-General of Ceylon
• History of Sri Lanka

References

• Governors of Ceylon
• CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY, Ministry Constitutional Change and National Integration

Specific